Dawn
by Blue's October
Summary: Olivia and Elliot find themselves faced with the search and rescue of a Connecticut girl violently kidnapped from her hotel suite. As they work to find her, they find themselves investigating numerous men in her life, including her father, boyfriend, and boss. Rated M for strong sexual content and violence.
1. Chapter 1

SVU: Episode "Dawn"

 _Slam. Lock._ Her face leaned against the cold wood of her hotel room door, her hands trying desperately to hold her up as tears flooded her eyes. She sniffled, her lips rippling like a wave as she started to sob. She shifted, resting her back against the door, and wiping her eyes, smearing her makeup across her ivory complexion. She took in a deep breath, trying to compose herself. She walked into her suite, taking off her leather patent pumps, leaving her metal clutch on the side table by the couch. The moment she dropped it, she heard a footstep and she instantly froze as she watched her visitor come around the corner from the kitchen.

"Ah. Rough night?" He said, his husky voice sending chills up her spine as they met eyes. "Nice dress though..." He mused, his lips shifting into a seductive yet disturbing smile, his eyes noting the slim little black dress she was wearing. "Very...tight."

He walked closer to her, her throat tightening as he did. He pushed her long brunette hair back from her face, tears fighting behind her hazel eyes as he did. He smelled of husk and cologne and his skin was rough, but most of all his stare terrified her beyond any nightmare she ever had.

"Is that so?" She said, trying to buy time as he pulled her closer, her instincts kicking in and her only desire becoming survival.

He groaned, his eyes coming in close as he smelled her hair, taking in her scent. "Yes." He whispered in her ear. She quivered for a second, her hand sliding into her clutch, searching for something while trying not to divert his attention.

"I can't wait to tear that dress to shreds, my teeth are quite sharp." He said, his breath burning as he brushed his teeth against the skin on her neck.

She couldn't look at him as he spoke, her nerves on fire as he took her in.

"Yeah...well, so is my knife." She said, stabbing him in the shoulder as hard as she could, sending sharp screams through his throat. She turned to dart, but he grabbed her and spun her back towards the couch, letting go so she could land against it hard. She grunted as she rolled over and hit the floor, a vase beside her shattering and glass tearing into her arm.

He ripped the knife out of his shoulder and faced her. His eyes filled with rage. Like a bear charging for prey. She saw it and her eyes widened in fear. She scrambled to get up, but he grabbed her by the hair rough, causing her to whimper and cry at the pain. He pulled her from the ground and held her by her neck as she faced him, choking from the pressure of his grip and gasping for air coincidently.

"You thought you could get me, didn't you? You dumb slut. You're gonna pay for that mistake."

She swiped her foot up and she kicked him right in the groin, his grip loosening and she kicked again and again until he was immobile from the pain. She then grabbed the lamp on the floor and brained him with it, his body falling to the ground as he clutched his head.

She dropped the lamp immediately, for fear he would regain stamina and she grabbed her purse as she ran for the door. She unlocked the bolt and ran out, seeing the lights of the room entrances before her. But with that moment of freedom came imprisonment as he grabbed her from behind and pulled her back into the room. She screamed and fought as hard as she could, her purse falling as she fought. But he was too strong and he dragged her back into the darkness.

The security guard sat, eating his pastrami sandwich as he watched the monitors thirteen floors below. He heard his partner come in, and he turned as he called his name.

"Frank. I got big news, we get to leave early today. Trainees come in for some training in a half hour and we get to leave. I say we get some brew skis and go out on the town tonight, what do you say?" His partner said cheerfully.

"As soon as we finish our shift, I'm down." He said with a mouthful of sandwich in his mouth. It was then he started to choke on is sandwich, turning to take a sip of his Mr. Pibb. Just as he took a sip, he saw the view from Camera B, and the girl as she escaped from her hotel room.

"Marty, look at this!" He exclaimed, his eyes bulging at the sight, panic and shock flowing in his veins.

They watched her escape, bruised and bloody, her hair a mess, and her makeup smeared on her face. And just like that, her assailant grabbed her and they watched in horror as she tried to escape his grasp, his face barely visible in the midst of the struggle.

"Call the police. I'll call Jonah." The guard exclaimed as he sent his partner away, watching again for the camera for signs of life in that room.

Soon guards and cops were assembling on the suite's floor, communicating over walkies to see if they two left the room. _Negative._ With one jolt, the door was busted open by the lead cop, with four cops behind him drawing their weapons. But the room was empty, though it looked like a fight had ensued.

"Where did they go?" The lead cop exclaimed.

"They must have left." Another cop suggested.

"Impossible. My partner has been watching the cameras this whole time." Marty swore.

"Wait," A female cop said, noting the adjoining room door to the right of them. She opened the door and saw it led into another room.

"He went out this door." She said, as her fellow officers assembled to the hallway.

"Yeah, but where did he go?" One officer exclaimed.

"A better question," Marty noted as he grabbed the metal clutch off of the floor. He looked inside and pulled out an ID. "Where did Erin Mason go?"

The cops before him were just as dumbfounded.

SVU Opening and Theme


	2. Chapter 2

"So the perp escaped the room using the adjoining door and then escaped just before the cops busted into the room." Olivia asked, trying to get all the facts in order as she reviewed what she got from her case file.

"That's what it looks like. The security guards caught the scuffle on tape. And it appears a man in a brown coat, with dark blonde hair, a baseball cap, and glasses rolled a suitcase at that room moments before the cops entered. Hotel was on lockdown but it looks like he got out using another exit. The police on the scene are looking into it with the hotel security." Cragen said as he strolled the precinct hallways with one of his best cops, his hands tucked loosely into his pockets while she strolled with an upright and energetic demeanor.

"The police chief wants this to be a high priority as the girl was from out of state."

"Out of state?" Olivia asked. "A tourist abducted in New York."

"Indeed. I'll go over the information with the rest of the team in just a moment. I want you all to be informed and ready to go."

"You got it Captain." Olivia said as she walked to her desk in the squad room, joining Elliot, Finn, and Munch as they surrounded the monitors as Cragen began his briefing.

"OK, let's go over what we know…" He said, addressing SVU's finest. Another early morning for the detectives was beginning and though they were strained and exhausted from their caseloads, they appeared attentive and ready for action. Not to say coffee didn't help.

Cragen pressed a button on the keyboard and the girl's picture from her ID appeared. _She's pretty._ Olivia thought. She admired her ivory skin, her greenish hazel eyes, high cheekbones and long brown hair. She was only 17. _Just a baby._

"Erin Mason. 17. She was visiting New York with some friends the night she was abducted. They were also sharing the hotel room with her. She lives in Monroe, Connecticut and attends Marvelwood High School."

"Do we have a composite on the suspect?" Elliot asked, crossing his arms in his usual fashion.

"We have a rough sketch from one of the security guards, Marty Haack. He caught the attack on camera right before the perp brought her back into the room." Cragen answered, pulling up a rough sketch of the suspect. Nothing seemed special about him. No features that were prominent or distinctive.

"Are we thinking random kidnapping or did she know the guy?" Olivia mused.

"That's an awful lot of trouble to go for a random pick. He could've grabbed anyone off the street if it was for opportunity. This guy must know her. The only question is why go through all this trouble?" Fin asked.

"Could it be domestic?" Munch said. "Perp could be a partner. An abusive one who took it too far and killed her. Then tried to escape arrest."

"That's a possibility. But we can't be sure until we speak her loved ones and friends, although we might be looking for someone older. The perp was hard to make out age wise, but we're thinking the youngest is twenty and the oldest would be thirty years old. This disappearance is a priority. I want Elliot and Olivia to interview the security guards and Erin's friends in her suite. But be cautious. Her best friend Christina is pretty shaken. I want Munch and Finn to check out her home and school, see what you can find." Cragen ordered.

 _The Row Hotel_

 _151 West 54th Street_

 _Sunday December 8_ _th_

"I was finishing my shift when I caught it out of the corner of my eye. I saw the door swing open and she came right out. Then he grabbed her and pulled her back in. She kept fighting him." Frank said as he answered Elliot's questions outside the hotel room.

"Could you make out what he looked like?" Elliot asked.

"Tallish, maybe 5'11. He was white for sure and he was wearing a baseball cap I think. His hair was dirty blonde I think." Frank said, trying to compile all his memories of the attack. "The girl looked kind of shaken up before she came in."

"You saw her go into the hotel room before the attack?"

"Yeah. She had her arms crossed like she was cold and she was whimpering a bit like she was going to cry. I couldn't help but wonder what was wrong and only a few minutes later did she come out running."

Olivia in the meantime was questioning Christina, one of Erin's friends. She herself was pretty shaken.

"The last time I saw Erin was at dinner. We went out to dinner at Gramercy Tavern. We were at the restaurant around 7 and at 7:45 she just left. I thought maybe she went back to the suite." She said, as she wrapped a blanket around her arms as she sat on the couch of the destructed hotel suite. The Crime Scene Unit circled around her, dusting for fingerprints and fibers, hoping to find some clue as to who was the man who attacked her.

That's all you saw, Christina?" Elliot asked as he entered the room, watching carefully the girl's expression. She was a teenager. _And teenagers don't always tell the truth._ The girl was in high school herself. A short girl, heavy with tan skin and curly brown hair and brown eyes. She seemed like a nice girl. But he still wanted to know more.

"Yeah. Totally out of the blue. I hope she's ok."

"We're going to do everything we can to find her, but we just need to know the events leading up to her disappearance. Now did you go check on her at all, after she left?" Olivia asked, kindly.

"I thought about it. But Ken said we should give her some space. And we could check on her later. So we still went out to the club."

"You and who else?" Elliot asked.

"Me, our friend Kat, my boyfriend Josh and our friend Christian."

"What about this guy Ken? He a friend too?"

"Yeah, he was the reason we were here. We were celebrating his birthday. Turning the big 18. So Erin and I planned a trip for him to New York."

"Pretty swanky suite for high school kids, who paid for the suite?" Elliot asked.

"Christian. His parents are owners of the hotel. So he got the room for us to spend the weekend in the city."

"You think anyone is trying to go after Christian and maybe Erin was the wrong target?" Olivia asked.

"No. Christian only moved to Monroe three months ago from D.C. I don't see why they would go after him here."

"What about a boyfriend? Was Erin seeing anyone?" Elliot asked.

"No…she didn't have time. She was too busy with work and school. She was trying to keep her grades up for college next fall..." Christina said, her eyes filling with tears. "We were waiting for early acceptance, me for Columbia and her for NYU." She began to sob and bury her face in her hands. "How did this happen?"

"We don't know, but we are going to do everything we can to find her." Olivia said, as she put her hand on the weeping girl's shoulder.

Olivia and Elliot shut the door behind them as they walked down the hallway of the hotel. Both were a little shaken, drawing blanks as to how they could answer Christina's question themselves.

"She's pretty shaken," Olivia said sadly.

"Agreed. Must be hard to have your friend taken so violently. Perhaps it hurts more if you feel responsible for it." He began, as Olivia caught a hint of suggestion in his last words.

"You think she had something to do with it?"

"I think she's not telling us everything. I have three daughters and if there's one thing I know, it's the best friends always knows something. That's just how teenagers work. We'll just have to see what that something is."

 _Marvelwood High School_

 _Monroe, CT_

"I can't believe this. Erin is such a sweet girl, I don't see why anyone would have a problem with her enough to take her."

"Miss Kramer, what kind of student was Erin?" Munch asked as he strolled the empty hallway of the private school with the teacher.

"She is a joy to have. Brilliant, polite, thirsty for knowledge. She is one of my best students in my AP Literature classes. Never once in Saturday detention." Ms. Kramer said joyfully.

"Anyone have any problems with her? Any trouble with other students?" He asked.

"Not that I know. She was quiet, not the type to get involved with anyone of the troubled kids. She was more focused on work and college."

"Work?" Finn asked from her other side.

"She worked at the Majesty movie theater on Hudson Avenue. She was working thirty hours a week. I thought it would affect her school work but she still brings in good grades every quarter."

"Why was she working so much?"

"Her mother lost her job last spring and Erin wanted to help pay the bills. But now she is the only one bringing in the money." The teacher muttered with a hint of disgust.

"Mother having a hard time finding for a job?" Finn asked.

"More like she didn't want to work. I've known Gail for a long time, but she isn't exactly the most caring mother."

"How so?"

"Gail was 18 when she had Erin. Got pregnant by a student from another school. He's now doing time in Attica for murder. Not the perfect family photo if you catch my drift. I just sensed maybe Gail was more concerned with living her life instead of taking care of her daughter."

The detectives and the teacher turned the corner to her classroom, empty and quiet expect for small murmurs in the hallways from passing teachers.

"Can you be more specific?" Munch asked.

"She would go out drinking and leave Erin alone with a babysitter till early morning hours. She dated numerous men, even kicking Erin out of the house so she could be alone with them. She just didn't seem like a fit mother to me."

"Did Erin tell you this?"

"Not exactly. I ask my students to keep diaries throughout the year so they can practice their writing. They keep the journals and write about what is going on in their lives. The goal is to give enough detail for a stranger to understand their thoughts."

"Do you still have her journal?"

"Yes. She left it here on Friday after the bell rang." The teacher muttered as she opened the door to a closet next to the door. After shuffling through numerous baskets, her eyes lit up as she grasped the red leather bound journal sitting at the back of the closet. "I was holding on to it to give it back to her on Monday."

She handed the journal to Munch, as he flipped through the pages quickly to see how much he could work with.

"Take it. Maybe you can find something you can use to find her."

 _Jessup Residence_

 _23 Deer Brook Road_

 _Monroe, CT_

 _One. Two. Three._ Finn pounded on the door to the Jessup residence with Munch by his side.

"You really think Mama Mojito is going to know anything about who might have reason to take her teenage daughter?" Munch asked.

"Worth a shot. If anyone is gonna know a creep, it could be Mama if she's bringing them around her daughter. Maybe it was collateral." Finn said.

With one click, the door opened and a young woman emerged, holding open the screen door to her one story home. She was about thirty five years old with short dirty blonde hair, dark green eyes and a petite frame. She appeared dazed as though she was just waking up from a hangover.

"Mrs. Jessup…"

"Miss Jessup. I'm not married. Who are you?" She mumbled as she tried to open her eyes.

"Police. Detective Munch and Tutuola. We're here about your daughter, Erin." Munch began.

"What about her?" She scowled as she swallowed her cup of dark roast coffee. "What did that little brat do now?"

"Words of concern from a doting mother." Munch remarked.

"Bite me. You know nothing about my daughter."

"Why don't you enlighten us then?" Finn quipped.

Ms. Jessup glared at him before explaining further.

"I'm not concerned as you say…" She said as she stared darkly at Munch. "Because she's not home most of the time. Lord knows where she is and what's she's doing. Not like she's making it any easier on me. She hasn't for a long time. Now just go away." She said as she turned and let the screen door close behind her.

That's when Finn got angry. He grabbed the screen door and jammed his foot in the doorway before she could slam it in their faces.

"Look lady, I don't give a damn about how hard your life was as a teen mom or any of that. What matters is your daughter was violently kidnapped and you don't seem to give a damn about that."

Gail was frozen in her step, her eyes widening slightly, enough to show Finn her shocked and shaken demeanor at that news. Munch noticed it and his scowl faded slightly as well.

"No one told me any of this. No one." She whispered, her heart sinking with her bottom lip as she clasped her hand over her mouth.

"Miss Jessup, when was the last time you saw your daughter?" Munch asked.

"Three days ago. She was…asleep in her room…and I closed the door to her bedroom….I'm sorry, I can't talk about this." And just like that the door closed and Munch and Finn turned to leave, hearing her cries begin behind the red front door. She didn't know anything. And neither did they.

The squad room was packed with calls from the media as to the whereabouts of this missing girl. Call after call, ring after ring, answer after answer and yet none of them were closer to finding her.

"Why won't these bozos call back when they run out of stories? I'm sure there still needs to be coverage on Jiff Pom dressed like Pikachu instead of wasting our time with questions."

"I understand your frustration John. But like I said, its high priority. How did it work out with the friend?" Cragen said.

"Well she says Erin was acting a little strange during dinner and she went back to her room. The rest of the friends were out at a nightclub when the attack occurred, so no one knows anything about what took place in the two hours that she was apart from the group." Olivia said.

"I'm not as convinced she doesn't know anything. Even if it's not intentional, I don't think this was random. This person knew her and went all the way to another state to get her. Her face in that surveillance, she looks terrified of him." Elliot said.

"A boyfriend perhaps? Did the friend give that up?" Cragen asked.

"Said Erin was too busy. Focused on grades. Her report card showed it."

"Teacher said she was a good kid, didn't get involved with anyone bad. But her mother was a neglectful one at that. Finn and I suspect maybe a boyfriend of the mother's might have been abusing the daughter and maybe she threatened to squeal. He had to shut her up."

"That's good. Finn, Munch. Go speak to the mother again and find out if she had a man in her life. Olivia and Elliot, go talk to Erin's other friends. I asked them to wait in the interview rooms. See what you can find out." Cragen ordered as the team dispersed.

Olivia entered the room where another girl in the suite sat. She was strawberry blonde with porcelain skin and bright green eyes. She had a doll like look to her. Although her name was Catherine instead of Barbie.

"Hi Catherine. I'm Olivia…" She began, smiling lightly at the girl as she closed the door behind her.

"Please, just call me Cat. Cat Morgenstern."

"Ok Cat. Let's start with this party you guys threw for Ken."

"It was more of Christina's idea. She and Ken work together at the movie theater and they became close. Erin too. The three of them are like the Three Musketeers." Cat began.

"Did Erin seem off at all Friday night?"

"No. Not until dinner. She said she was sick. Said she might have eaten something funny at the restaurant. She wanted to go lay down so the rest of us went out to a nightclub, the Green Lantern in Midtown."

"Did anyone go back and check on her?"

"I don't know, I was too busy dancing to notice."

Elliot was in the room next door, talking to Christian.

"Anyone give Erin a hard time? Anyone who might want to hurt her?"

"Not that I know of." Christian said. "Everything was fine beforehand. We were all just having a good time."

"At the club?"

"Yeah, Erin told us not to worry. That she was gonna lay down and we could hang out later."

"Did Erin have a man in her life?"

"No." Christian said. "She hadn't dated anyone since her last boyfriend Jared sophomore year."

"Could he be the one who took her?"

"Not unless he's haunting her from the grave."

Elliot was confused.

"Died in a car accident last spring."

"She was a good girl…" Cat said. "Hardly one to get in a beef with someone. Last person I thought this would happen to."

Olivia was just as lost as Elliot. No closer to any answers.

"Got anything from the friend?" Elliot said as he and Olivia walked down the hallway of the precinct.

"Nope. You?"

"Nope. Same thing every time. Good girl, bad timing." He said.

The squad room was the same; scrabbling with papers, answering phone calls, and still no closer to finding the perp.

"Let's hope Munch and Finn have better luck."

Monroe was quiet that Saturday night as Munch and Finn went back to the Jessup house. Driving quietly in the police cruiser, they stopped in the driveway and shut the car doors behind them quietly.

Immediately, the sound of plates breaking echoed in the kitchen and Munch and Finn drew their guns as they heard a man screaming.

Then a woman's voice shouted back. It sounded like a domestic dispute. Until she screamed at the top of her lungs.

Munch and Finn made it to the door and on the count of three, they busted in the door and pointed their guns.

"Police. Get on the ground. Get on the ground now!" Munch shouted.

Gail and a man were in the kitchen and in a flash, Finn had the guy on his stomach cuffing him. Gail stood there frozen.

"Get off of me!" The guy shouted.

"Won't have much time to be roughing up women in jail you jackass."

"Where are you taking him?" Gail said. "Eddie!" She called as Finn took the guy out the car.

"Don't worry, Ms. Jessup. You can thank your friendly neighborhood NYPD for getting this creep off your property." Munch mused as he followed Finn out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

Olivia and Elliot stood in the observation room, staring intently through the one way glass as Finn and Munch circled the perp, probing him for details.

Cragen stepped in behind them. Shutting the door behind him.

"Any progress?" He asked, joining their side as he peered in.

"Nope. Just the basics. Rap sheet identifies him as Eddie Velez. Arrested multiple times for drug trafficking and attempt to distribute, most recently in '98 and '99. Spent ten years in Attica for a drug-related shootout. He's been through the system enough. He's not gonna talk without a lawyer." Elliot muttered.

"Has he waved Miranda?" Cragen asked.

"Not yet, he's just stalling. He's playing games." Liv said.

"Serious collars for drug trafficking Mr. Velez, and now a domestic dispute and kidnapping, you're in for another bid for Attica, my friend." Munch noted from across the table to the perp as Finn circled him, not taking his eyes off Eddie.

"I ain't kidnap or hurt nobody." Eddie muttered angrily.

"Yes, you did Eddie! You kidnapped Erin Mason!" Finn growled as he slammed down the class photo of Erin in front of him, right in Eddie's view.

"I ain't go near that bitch!"

"Bitch, not fond of her are you Eddie?" Munch mused.

"I don't know her that well…"

"But you have an opinion of her. Strong words for someone you don't know that well? Sounds like you're downplaying." Munch said.

"I know her through her Mom. We knew each other from high school. Gail told me that this girl was constantly running away and causing all sorts of trouble."

"You know what I think. I think you were over that house, wining and dining Gail and then you saw a little side piece in the next room. You think you're gonna get lucky, until she threatens to squeal on you. You raped her and now you kidnapped her to shut her up!" Finn roared.

"No! I never touched her!"

"You did Eddie! And you are going down for it along for kidnapping and possibly murder!" Munch yelled, rising from his chair to stare right into Eddie's eyes.

"No!"

"Admit it, Eddie! You did it!" Finn shouted.

"No! And I want my attorney, right now!"

The two detectives sighed to themselves and stood to leave, shutting the door behind them.

"Sorry, Captain. Perp lawyered up." Munch said.

"We need something else to get him to talk." Elliot said.

"Like what?" Olivia asked. "Without Erin, there's nothing we can charge him on."

"Maybe we can if there's proof he molested Erin. Maybe Mom will cooperate." Cragen said.

"She's not gonna give a damn. She doesn't care about her daughter." Finn said.

"She won't help." Munch agreed.

"Well then why is she standing in the squad room?" Elliot asked as he saw Gail sitting next to his office through the window.

Olivia and Elliot walked to the squad room, watching a distraught Gail sitting with her head down, looking down to the floor.

"Miss Jessup, are you okay?" Olivia asked.

"Where's Eddie? I need to talk to Eddie." Gail whispered.

"Eddie is in custody right now awaiting his attorney." Elliot answered.

"Please. He knows something about Erin. He needs to talk to me so I can find my daughter."

"Why do you think Eddie knows something about Erin's disappearance?" Olivia asked Gil as the three walked into another room of the police station.

"I just do. I've known Eddie since high school. He's the person I call for help." Gail said.

"Ms. Jessup, how close are you with Eddie?" Elliot asked. His eyes motioned to Gail that there was some speculation behind his suggestive stare.

"He's my friend. What you think he's my boyfriend?" Gail shouted.

"We speculated. After what seemed like a domestic dispute. Why were the two of you fighting?" Olivia asked.

"I called him over for a beer. And I asked him about some questions about…" Gail couldn't finish her sentence. As though she were trying to find the strength to even speak about the subject.

"Gail…" Elliot said.

"About Erin's father. I wanted to ask him about her father."

"Why were you asking Eddie about him?" Elliot asked.

"I found out Erin was speaking to him. I was cleaning her room and I found a letter addressed from him under her mattress."

"You didn't approve of the relationship?"

"He's a murderer! He has not raised her past her first year and I have taken care of her for the last sixteen. I will not apologize for not letting her see that man."

"So Erin didn't agree?"

"Not when I confronted her about it. That's for sure." Gail said. "We got into a fight about it. I told Erin she couldn't see him and she said it was her right to see him. That…"

Gail stopped again to process her thoughts. "She said at least one of her parents was taking an interest in her. I just snapped and…I hit her across the face."

Elliot and Olivia paused and stared at her, silently judging over the violent treatment of her daughter.

"You slapped your daughter across the face?" Elliot asked, his anger seething slightly into his tone.

"I snapped…I regretted it immediately but she ran out the door before I could stop her. You must have children, hasn't one of your children ever just made you snap?"

Elliot could understand, his mind flashing to when he threw Dickie against the wall once. In this very police station.

"Anyway, I haven't seen her since. And I suspected her father may have something to do with it."

"If he's incarcerated, how could he responsible?"

"He's not incarcerated though. He's out. Eddie told me he got out on Thursday."


End file.
